Exact Sciences to Present New Molecular Residual Disease and Multi-Cancer Early Detection Data at AACR 2026
The Oncodetect® test expands the role of tumor-informed MRD in triple-negative breast cancer
The Cancerguard® test demonstrates improved early-stage multi-cancer detection performance
Exact Sciences Corp. (NASDAQ:EXAS), a leading provider of cancer screening and diagnostic tests, today announced four presentations at the 2026 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting highlighting new data in molecular residual disease (MRD) testing and multi-cancer early detection (MCED). The meeting will take place from April 17–22, 2026, in San Diego, CA.
Exact Sciences will present new findings from the NSABP B-59/GBG-96-GeparDouze trial evaluating its tumor-informed circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) test, Oncodetect®, in early triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), along with updated performance data from its multi-biomarker class MCED program supporting the Cancerguard® test. Together, these results reinforce the company's strategy to help detect cancer earlier and monitor disease after treatment.
"Our goal is to use molecular information to guide cancer care at every stage," said Jorge Garces, Ph.D., chief scientific officer at Exact Sciences. "By combining tumor-informed ctDNA analysis with multi-biomarker detection approaches, we're building tools that give clinicians a clearer view of cancer biology and how disease evolves over time."
Detailed information on the AACR presentations is provided below:
Expanding the clinical utility of MRD detection in breast and colorectal cancer
Title: Whole-exome sequencing tumor-informed circulating tumor DNA detection after completion of neoadjuvant treatment predicts non-pCR and distant recurrence in patients with early triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)—Results from a sub-study of the NSABP B-59/GBG-96-GeparDouze Trial
Presenter: Dr. Marija Balic
Session: Saturday, April 18, 2026. Aiming for Cure: Perioperative Clinical Trials
Oral number: CT013
Key findings: Pre-surgery ctDNA status following neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) was strongly associated with both pathologic complete response (pCR) and distant recurrence-free interval (dRFI). These results highlight the potential utility of post-NAT presurgical ctDNA status as an early indicator of treatment resistance and risk stratification.
Title: Investigating the value of testing for actionable alterations and circulating tumor DNA in breast and colorectal cancers
Presenter: Dr. Gargi Basu
Session: Monday, April 20, 2026. Molecular/Cellular Biology and Genetics: Genomic Profiling to Understand Cancer Biology
Poster number: 3243
Location: Poster section 22
Key findings: Comprehensive tumor profiling identified actionable genomic alterations in nearly all breast and colorectal cancer patients tested for ctDNA. Approximately half of the samples had at least one alteration associated with FDA-approved therapies.
Advancing multi-cancer early detection with multi-biomarker innovation
Title: Performance of an optimized methylation-protein multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test classifier
Session: Sunday, April 19, 2026, Clinical Research, Early Detection Biomarkers 1
Poster number: 1109
Location: Poster section 43
Key findings: An optimized methylation–protein (MP V2) multi-cancer early detection classifier demonstrated improved early-stage sensitivity compared with the prior version while maintaining high specificity, supporting its potential to enhance detection of cancers at earlier, more treatable stages.
Title: The complementary contributions of methylation and protein biomarker classes in a multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test
Session: Sunday, April 19, 2026, Clinical Research, Early Detection Biomarkers 1
Poster number: 1108
Location: Poster section 43
Key findings: Results presented demonstrate that methylation and protein biomarker classes provide complementary and independent contributions to cancer signal detection, particularly in early-stage disease, supporting the value of a multi-biomarker approach in MCED testing.
About Exact Sciences Corp.
A leading provider of cancer screening and diagnostic tests, Exact Sciences helps patients and health care providers make timely, informed decisions before, during, and after a cancer diagnosis. The company's growing portfolio includes well-established brands such as Cologuard® and Oncotype DX®, along with innovative solutions like Cancerguard® for blood-based analysis of molecular information across multiple cancers and Oncodetect® for molecular residual disease and recurrence monitoring. Exact Sciences continues to invest in a robust pipeline of advanced cancer diagnostics aimed at improving outcomes. For more information, visit ExactSciences.com, follow @ExactSciences on X, or connect on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Forward-Looking Statement
This news release contains forward-looking statements concerning our expectations, anticipations, intentions, beliefs, or strategies regarding the future. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that we have made as of the date hereof and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, conditions and events to differ materially from those anticipated. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties that may affect our forward-looking statements are described in the Risk Factors sections of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and in our other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260317158639/en/
Media Contact:
Lisa Warshaw
[email protected]
323-360-8778
Investor Contact:
Derek Leckow
[email protected]
608-893-0009